Sun Catch Her (Book 1: Three Rivers Deep series) COMPLETE

Chapter Forty-Six

I leaned forward against Alex as his inhuman speed made the woods blur around us. The howling of umbrae in hot pursuit rose to an ear- piercing shriek, and I squeezed his waist between my thighs, my alarm willing him even faster. His gait became rough as we plowed through the thick brush of a steep embankment and down onto the main road, his bare feet making soft slaps crossing the pavement. Luckily, there were no cars. We vaulted over the guiderail and plunged into forest again.

With a soft grunt, he had us airborne. We landed in the middle of a small clearing and kept on going. I recognized with a start that we were among the steel supports of the power station below the main road. Crap. I turned to watch as a tree fell in the wake of our pursuers. Still running, he leapt again, clearing the opposite fence to continue downhill, zigzagging around tree trunks as they sprang up in the way. He is heading for the creek at the bottom of the valley, I realized. Sure enough, when a glimmer of orange factory light dancing atop a dark, sleek surface came into sight, he homed in on it. I fought the urge to shriek when the slope took a plunge straight down, my hair lifting with the force of it.

With a speed so unimaginably fast I could scarcely comprehend it, we hit the creek with an almost inaudible splash. The harsh jolt of feet pounding against earth gave way to a breathtaking quiet; he could run on water. He used it to boost his speed.

I closed my eyes to concentrate on the movement of him flowing underneath me, his arms securely locked around my gripping legs. It gave the odd impression that I was riding a wave bareback.

Fingers easing from their desperate grip, I smoothed palms over the curve of his back. It recalled for me the first time I'd set eyes on him, watching from under the bleachers as he came up from the parking lot in the rain, the suave gait, the lean muscle. The fact I associated his flowing grace with a long-bodied dragon even back then shivered up through me, the thrill of it shooting out my fingertips. Mmm, not just any dragon. I opened my eyes and leaned forward, pressing against him. Alex was a water dragon. I wrapped my arms around him to make us aerodynamic, extending my neck over his shoulder to place my head next to his to watch the way. My mouth went soft with wonderment when I saw that he was smiling. He was enjoying himself?

"It's not often you get to let loose like this, is it?" I didn't have to shout. My lips were close to his ear.

"Not often," he agreed raising his own voice a little to be heard.

I was surprised at how easy conversation was for him.

Running at speeds that were beyond human, he spoke effortlessly. "You're enjoying this?"

"What's not to enjoy? A rain-heavy evening. Mud caking my soles. A beautiful female clinging to my back while we run from umbrae who intend to devour her." His voice was light with humor and enthusiasm. "Really," he insisted, "you are stunning in that dress. And I am sorry to tell you that once we lose these guys, you're going to have to remove it. We can't have you visibly glowing like this."

It was true. Not only was I emanating light, my body was ablaze. We must have looked like a comet zipping under crisscrossing tree limbs. I was a furious blaze clinging to his back, a blue-going-on-purple inferno.

"Though I'm sure you'll be just as stunning without the dress," he voiced the innuendo easily, the shock of earlier gone.

I rubbed my cheek against the side of his face, and his wide grin softened. His irises had brightened to the color of a pristine sky when he glanced sideways at me, and I could feel myself becoming lost in the moment. I realized he had said something, but the words failed to register.

A surprised gasp escaped me when I was ripped from his back, though his arms were still around me, strong and secure. I was facing him now, embraced chest to chest with my legs around his waist. The creek soaked my hair and my back through the coat and dress as I stared up with wide eyes at a looming form as it passed overhead. The solid darkness missed Alex's back by inches.